We asked, you told us: Fast wired charging please, Android makers

For this week’s poll we thought rather than ask about individual handsets and makers, let’s talk about something that’s becoming a trend – wired, fast charging versus wireless charging – but not both. And here are the results!

With the HTC U12 Plus launch this week and the OnePlus 6 before it, both devices were all-glass which is one of the necessary requirements for wireless charging. But, neither of them came with it. Both manufacturers said that this wasn’t something they forgot, either!

OnePlus indicated that its fast-charging solution known as Dash Charge (or VOOC) was plenty sufficient, while HTC told Android Authority that they left it out to make the battery as big and long-lasting as possible. Plus, HTC offer Quick Charge 3.0 and 4.0 compatibility, which offers very rapid charging indeed.

But wireless charging is pretty handy, and if you’ve already invested in it, chances are it’s a pretty big deal to you. Android Authority team member and social man Luka Mlinar told us this week that he paid close to $500 to add wireless charging to his Volkswagen Polo with Android Auto, and you can be sure it matters to him! Luka even put a number on it: “100%. I’m not getting a phone without it!”

So, we thought we’d find out from our wider audience if you’d rather have that nice fast charging via a cable, or if wireless charging was more important. Of course, a few people chimed in to point out that some phones do both, including a bunch of the recent Samsung Galaxy S and Note phones, which support can support Qualcomm Quick Charge, Qi, and PMA wireless charging standards all at once:

It’s another landslide, with more than 80 percent preferring fast cabled charging. That makes sense given it’s already bundled with the device and if you don’t have a wireless charging point at home, work, or in the car, it doesn’t matter as much, even if it is ever so nice to just plonk down the phone and pick up back up with more battery.

The major poll difference was on the website here, where a few more people voted for wireless charging. We tend to think that those who make the effort to vote here on the website are the more rusted-on enthusiasts out there so we can understand why a few more percent might have gone down Luka’s path, and gone for futureproofing via wireless charging in their electronics setup.

We had some nice conflicting views in the comments, too! Generally, there’s agreement that if wireless worked faster and better (although this may need some innovations not currently possible due to those pesky laws of physics) people would use it more.

But until then, at least some of you think it’s the future, while some of you think it’ll go the way of the dodo, and won’t be an option at all in future, despite support the biggest makers in Samsung, along with Apple just recently as well, over on the other side of the fence.

Here’s some of the great comments we found.

Fast wired charging:

Wireless charging is too slow (unless you’re Samsung) and I’m the type of person that will only charge for 40 minutes, during that time I want my phone to charge as much as physically possible.

Talk to me when I can charge my phone just by entering the room.

Because time is worth more than not having to plug a device in. I just don’t see the convenience of wireless charging I guess.

I think wireless charging is cool and interesting, and could be the way of the future. But having to have an all-glass body to work is a negative in my view, so I’ll take Fast (cabled) charging any day.

Wireless charging will likely go the way of the removable battery.

I never really saw it as “wireless” anyway, considering you still have to plug the device into an outlet somewhere.

Wireless:

I will say that wireless charging is the future of all smartphones… just make it as fast as wired.

Today, definitely fast wired charging. But in the future, if wireless starts to work in your entire house, it doesn’t matter that it’s slow. I am confident wireless is the future.

I don’t need fast charging. I charge my phone overnight and that’s why it doesn’t matter how long it takes.

Well, sure! If you guys start a GoFundMe we can look into buying into Essential and unveiling the AA-1? Mind you, the Essential news brings us absolutely no joy, as we desperately need bolder Android concepts and innovations.

Thanks to all votes, and it’s been great getting your views as always. Let us know down below if you were surprised, happy, or sad at the results, and if you’re on the side of future or past when it comes to wireless charging. See you next week!